Greetings to all and thanks for a great site. I have been around old cars for most of my 49 years. I currently own a '64 Fairlane 500 2Dr HT and my 19 year old son owns an '85 Monte Carlo SS with 70,000 original miles. I joined this site because my 17 year old daughter wants to get into the act. When she expressed an interest in old cars I suggested a Maverick because of its size and relative affordability. She really liked the looks, especially of the small bumper cars. I purchased my Fairlane in 2005 as a father-son project. To make a long story short we removed the six cylinder and three speed and installed a 5.0 roller motor and T-5 5-speed. We built the engine and installed everything as a team. About a year ago a friend of mine purchased three 1985 Monte Carlo SS cars from an estate. My son, using his own money, bought one of the cars; a 67000 mile all original that needed some mechanical and body/paint work. We struggled together to solve the mystery of computer controlled carbs and finally got it running well in January of this year. The car was just recently painted (again paid for by my son) and looks great. I want to have a similar experience with my daughter, again with her paying most of the cost, so that she will be invested in the project. We want to end up with a daily driver that she won't be afraid to use. The tricky part is that she wants A/C and small bumpers. I have a possible line on a '76 model with 302 and air, however, I understand that the bumper conversion could be difficult to pull off as parts are scarce. I am looking for thoughts from experienced members both on the best way to proceed, and perhaps for leads on cars that may be available for purchase. Thanks in advance.
from Martin GA. Go to top of the page and u will see search. type in bumper swap that. should give u some idea's.
First off from Northeast Pennsylvania A nice set of small bumpers are the hardest part of the swap to find. Front and rear valances might be the next hardest to find. You may still be able to find small bumper cars in junkyards but, of course, the bumpers most likely will be real junk. You might be able to grab the brackets and maybe a good front filler piece though. Be prepared to do some repairs on the valances and front filler piece - they may not be perfect. You may find a really nice bumper with those bumperettes bolted to it. Don't walk away from it because you might not want that type of bumper. Just unbolt the bumperettes and fill the extra holes with a couple of new chrome bumper bolts. That's what I did. Get any brackets glass beaded and you will be surprised how nice they will become. Then throw some Rust Bullet or POR 15 on them to keep them preserved forever.
Thanks to all. I hope to be able to check out a local car this weekend. Ray, my daughter really likes your blue Grabber.
